Former DMK minister EV Velu appeared to turn the party’s own past record into a punchline in the Legislative Assembly, admitting that the DMK was in the Opposition because its previous tenure had not been good enough, even as he questioned the government’s performance during its first 116 days.
Speaking in the House, Velu questioned the government over the number of crimes reported during its first 116 days in office.
“Your election manifesto promised that upon coming to power, you would ensure law and order and maintain the district in good condition; our question is why so many crimes have occurred in just these 116 days.”
Velu said the DMK was now in the opposition precisely because its administration had not been satisfactory.
“We are sitting in the opposition because things were not right during our tenure—let us accept that premise for the sake of argument. Since we are now the opposition, we will naturally raise questions.”
He said raising questions about the government’s performance was part of the Opposition’s role and clarified that merely criticising the ruling party would not bring the DMK back to power.
“Wait a moment… what we are asking—and our Leader of the Opposition is raising this—is based on our role as the opposition. I know that simply criticizing the ruling party doesn’t make us the government; we can only come to power through an election.”
Velu then questioned the government over the incidents reported during its first 116 days, particularly in the context of its electoral promises on law and order and public safety.
He also criticised the government for responding to such questions by comparing its record with incidents reported during the DMK’s previous tenure.
“There is no objection to making comparisons—if you were to say, “During our 116-day tenure, we have reduced the numbers compared to the past,” that would be a fitting response. However, simply citing what happened in 2021 or 2023 is not appropriate.”
Velu said a government should demonstrate that crime had actually declined under its watch rather than engage in a blame game over the record of previous administrations.
“A truly excellent administration is one that can say, “We have reduced murders and robberies.” Instead of demonstrating that, engaging in a blame game regarding 2021 or 2023 is not a suitable answer.”
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